


Settling the Score - An Argonian Adventure

by SettlesHisScores



Category: Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-17
Updated: 2021-01-21
Packaged: 2021-03-15 20:02:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,794
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28818942
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SettlesHisScores/pseuds/SettlesHisScores
Summary: A storm of supernatural power sends a ship crashing into the Windhelm docks, among the wreckage is an Argonian. He is taken in by the dockworkers where he is nursed to consciousness, where he hastily explains he has a mission.
Comments: 1
Kudos: 5





	1. Chapter 1

~4E 201~

“Hey, you, you’re finally awake.” Someone was speaking to me. I couldn’t tell from where, but they sounded close, my eyesight hadn’t returned. I felt I was on my back, it was very uncomfortable, the floor was damp, uneven and even sharp.

“Not even last night’s storm could wake you.” He told me, my eyesight started to return, and I saw his outline turn away to look at something, his outline was unmistakably reptilian. An Argonian, like me. He stood up and he left my eyesight, I hadn’t the energy to follow him with my eyes, let alone my head. I hadn’t tried to move, I sensed I ached all over, each scale was a weight upon my body and every splinter on the floor under me was a nail- each force creating a great deal of pain. My ears were ringing, and my head thumped.

“It was practically supernatural- the storm. Do you know where you were headed?” The Argonian was stood leaning over me. “You don’t have to answer yet. You’re safe now, friend.” He crouched beside me and felt my arm, I winced a little and he noticed. “Easy, you’re shivering. And cold. I suppose you can’t have one without the other though.” A door opened and closed followed by another voice that made me jump a little.

“Neetrenaza I did not just return to find our visitor still on this horrible floor- why isn’t he in a bed? Look he’s shaking.”

“What if he drifted off and- didn’t return to shore. A little discomfort will keep him awake, Shahvee.” Names. I don’t recognise them. They weren’t on the boat.

“Help me pick him up and put him on a bed, I found a potion of healing, so we can hopefully avoid any drifting off as you described.” Shahvee said. I liked how she spoke, her voice was old and weathered, yet with such jolly intonations and care I felt as if she was my own mother. They reached under me to pick me up, I still ached, and this hurt. They were as gentle as they could be picking me up and setting me down on the bed.

“Shahvee, I know this isn’t our number one priority- but when you say you found a potion of healing…?”

“I stole it. If that’s what you want to hear from me. I still know my old tricks. And you are right that isn’t our number one priority, he is.” She lifted the back of my head and poured a little of the potion down my throat, a bit trickled out the side of my mouth, it was embarrassing but I couldn’t help it. It was a warm liquid but tasted vile. Its warmth centered in my chest and core and spread through my appendages, it was slightly numbing too, as I felt my aches ease.

“How do you feel, friend? What’s your name? You may have worked out my name to be Neetrenaza. The mother hen here is Shahvee.” Shahvee smacked his arm with the back of her hand. My vision had cleared and the ringing in my ears had stopped. The potion had worked its way through my body between the cracks of my scales and to the tip of my tail- I felt tired, but the pain had gone away. I licked my lips and stretched my jaw.

“I feel better. Thank you both.” The tone of my voice betrayed my gratitude. “I am grateful, really. Where am I?” I wasn’t sure where the ship had crashed.

“Windhelm, dear.” Shahvee said, a ring of apology in her.

“Your ship crashed just out from the docks, I swam to pull you out and brought you here. I wish I could’ve brought you somewhere else, truly, friend. Windhelm isn’t a kind place for us.” Neetrenaza added.

“You’re in the Argonian Assemblage. The Stormcloaks don’t know you’re here. We’ll nurse you to full health so you can be on your way by morning, dear.” Shahvee assured me.

“My crew. I had crew. It wasn’t just me on that ship, where are they, did you see a Dunmer?” I asked, looking back and forth between them.

“I watched the guards march three people from the wreckage and into the city. With them possibly your Dunmer. I found you half-drowned below deck. Your gills, or lack-there-of was one of the first things I noticed about you.” Neetrenaza prodded at my face.

“Do you know where they took them?” I asked, sitting up against the headboard. The ringing in my ears returned and my heartrate increased.

“We can only guess a prison. A strange ship crashing in the docks in times like these, in Windhelm of all places; the seat of the Stormcloak rebellion. There are only worse places if you landed on the shores of Oblivion.” Neetrenaza shrugged.

“I appreciate your help, I do I really do, and I promise I will find a way to repay your kindness but listen. My name is Settles-His-Scores, and we need to find that Dunmer.”

~To be continued~


	2. "Hey, Score-Settler, up and at 'em..."

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Scores must leave the hospitality of the workers in the Argonian Assemblage...

Despite my weariness, sleep was a challenge that night. Shahvee and Neetrenaza told me there is nothing that can be done to help the crew yet. Not until day breaks. It was an uneasy sleep, part of me was frightened to close my eyes for too long- the feeling of slipping into the unconscious was like death being shy, and I had already experienced that once-enough in my life.

We sailed from Raven Rock on the island of Solthseim, a little north-east of Skyrim. I hesitate to call it home; I’d hesitate to call anywhere home. I’ve got this feeling I always need to be going somewhere, like I always need a mission, it’s probably because of my name. ‘Settles-His-Scores.’ What’s the score, what am I settling, when it’s settled should I change my name? If I was a girl would I be called Settles-Her-Scores? Probably, is the answer to that. I hugged my knees to my chest and rested my snout between them and let exhaustion take over me til I passed out.

*

“Hey, Score-Settler, up and at ‘em.” In a scene that mirrored almost exactly like how I first woke here, Neetrenaza was standing over me, calling my back to reality.

“It’s early, sorry, but soon the regular guards resume duty here, and they love to take a sniff around here, make sure we haven’t got a hold of any ‘missing’ cargo.” Neetrenaza pinched the end of my tail between his claws to wake me up.

“They really do not like you here, the Nords.” I commented, swivelling my legs off the bed. “What’s the plan, do you have somewhere for me to… hide?” I looked around the room, there was nowhere to go. I had just taken in how uninviting it was, this wasn’t a home.

“As a matter of fact, we do.” Shahvee chimed in. “In plain sight, dear. These belonged to one of our own, Scouts-Many-Marshes.” She approached me carrying a clean set of simple worker’s clothes. I measured them against my body, seems like they’ll fit just fine. I didn’t ask about the previous owner, I could make a guess.

“I know the Nords aren’t known for their minds, but they’re not this stupid are they, to believe I’ve been a worker this whole time?” I was feeling nervous about this plan.

“Oh, they’re stupid. The ones up here anyway. No, we’re not going to pretend you work here. The sun has yet to rise, so take advantage of the darkness outside and swim across the waters to the bank, if you can, hold the clothes above your head. Get changed under the bridge, find somewhere to hide til morning then enter the city as a traveller. I can guarantee you will not receive as warm a welcome as you did here, but I dread to think what would happen to us if the guards found you here. If the others have been arrested and they found out we’ve been keeping you, a worse fate could befall us. If you still have business in the city finding out what happened to your crew then brace yourself for the cold alleys and colder Nords.” Neetrenaza sighed, he didn’t ask any more about why I was here.

If my crew really had been imprisoned, then I fear they know more about their fate than they want me to know. I listened to his words carefully. I will admit, I was sad. They had dragged me from the waters, half-dead, kept me safe and warm, knowing this whole time of the risks- and now I must leave with their clothes, their food and their drink.

“Can’t you come with me…?” I cocked my head a little and asked. I didn’t want to leave them here.

“Oh, I’m afraid you’ll have to manage without us, dear. We’re confined to working here. It is not the best life, but for now it’s all we’ve got.” Shahvee smiled, despite her upsetting words. “I will pray for your mission to be successful, whatever it may be. It’s best we don’t know.”

“Just know that it’ll help you. It’ll help all of us. I promise I’ll come back with the good news.” I owed these two a lot. But now I can help them by pretending I was never here, I too fear what the guards would do, Neetrenaza has not sold me on the hospitality of the city. While Shahvee and I said our farewells, Neetrenaza had checked for the night guard, he called us over to the door and assured me it’s safe.

“Whatever it is that needs settling, I trust you can do it.” Neetrenaza patted me on the back. “Good luck, egg-brother.”

I turned back and smiled as bravely as I could, and they shut the door. I stood on the edge of the docks and took everything in and tried to gather my bearings. We sailed in through a river from the West, in the dockyard, the waters opened up. I faced South, on my right, the great stone bridge that leads into the city, it towered over me. To my left, the river that took us here. And right in front of me, the shipwreck. Between the wreck and the docks was about 30 metres of icy waters.

“For the mission. I’ll be a hero, we’ll be heroes.” I braced myself for the waters I had very nearly perished in, as Neetrenaza noticed when he found me, I don’t have gills. In fact, I can hardly swim. To the Argonians, we can often swim before we can walk. Except me. I shook those thoughts away and edged myself into the water.

~To be continued...~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello again! Are these a little short? I like short chapters, personally.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you ever so much for reading this short prologue to the story of Settles-His-Scores. You can find my Instagram @settleshisscores.


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